Lee Kuan Yew at 90. Some Legendary (And Lesser Known) Facts

Lee Kuan Yew at 90. Some Legendary (And Lesser Known) Facts

Lee Kuan Yew’s 90th birthday was notable as much for the wealth of greetings from other legendary public figures as it was for his remarkable age.

The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and Germany’s Angela Merkel remarked how Lee’s life has been “inextricably interwoven with the history and development” of Singapore and reiterated that Singapore will remain a key partner in Asia.

China’s former vice premier, Li Lanqing paid tribute to Lee’s efforts in forging the friendship between China and Singapore. Back home, many MPs and dignitaries also sent their well wishes to via social media.

Remarkable at any age (ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW)

Large sections of Lee Kuan Yew’s story are well known. Born on 16 September 1923 at 92 Kampong Java Road in Singapore, Lee says in his autobiography that he is a fourth-generation Chinese Singaporean. His Hakka great-grandfather emigrated from the Dapu county of Guangdong province to the Straits Settlements in 1862.

He was the co-founder and first secretary-general of the People’s Action Party (PAP), and led the party to a landslide victory in 1959. During his leadership, Singapore separated from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965. Since independence the newly formed island state has gained a powerful international reputation and is often referred to as one of Asia’s economic powerhouses. Lee Kuan Yew has remained one of the most influential political figures in South-East Asia.

This is all well and good, but we thought you might like to know more, so here is DirectAsia.com’s compilation of things you may not know about Singapore’s most resilient leading man:

Lee attained a double First Class Honours in Law with a star for distinction from Cambridge University. It was in England that he also met and went on to secretly marry his first love, Kwa Geok Choo. When they came back to Singapore, he married her again in a more public ceremony. Lee quipped: “I don’t think that’s an offence, to marry a woman twice, the same woman!” They have three children: current Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Wei Ling and Hsien Yang.

During the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II, Lee helped to develop a glue based on tapioca, which he sold under the name Stikfas. The logo subsequently appeared on the base of his wedding cake.

He learnt Mandarin when he was 32 years old, and Hokkien at 38 years. The first thing he said in Hokkien to a crowd: “Gin nah mai chio, wah beh oh” in Hokkien, it means “kids don’t laugh, I want to learn.” Lee also speaks English and Bahasa Melayu fluently.

He is the undisputed, undefeated heavyweight champion of politics, having never lost an election.

Drive, passion and determination (AFP FILE PHOTOS)

On 13 September 2008, Lee, 84, underwent successful treatment for abnormal heart rhythm at Singapore General Hospital, but he was still able to address a philanthropy forum via video link from hospital!

Lee’s wife Kwa passed away on 2 October 2010. She was bedridden for the last two years of her life after suffering a series of strokes. Lee would keep vigil by his wife’s side whenever he was not at work, reading to her. While he was abroad, Lee would ensure to speak to her via webcam. They were married for 63 years.

He reads the obituary column with a certain amount of glee, saying “at 89, I look at the obituary pages and see very few who have outlived me.”

An influential political figure (ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW)

DirectAsia.com celebrates the drive, passion and determined efforts of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and all those who were there in the early days. Singapore would not be where she is today without you.

Drive, passion and determination are also at the heart of what DirectAsia.com is all about. In short, we have made it our business to change the outmoded and expensive ways that local people were forced to buy insurance. In turn, the people of Singapore helped us beat off stiff competition when voting for their favourite insurer.

A prestigious annual competition, The People’s Choice Award is widely coveted by local businesses as it reflects what the buying public considers worthy. CEO of DirectAsia.com, Simon Birch, expressed his thanks,

“We are a new Asian insurer and we’re already making waves because we are so focused on the customer and making insurance easier and cheaper for everyone. It means a great deal to us that the people of Singapore are happy with the service they receive from DirectAsia.com.”

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